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It's July 2023, and the most powerful executives in the world of media, finance, and tech are in Idaho for the annual Sun Valley Conference, an invite-only gathering where billionaires mingle, talk trends, and initiate mega-deals.

And among those attending is Disney's CEO Bob Eiger. The 72-year-old follows his assistant through the

resort hotel. He's wearing a designer pullover while holding a plastic bottle of water. He waves,

nods, and smiles at the familiar faces he passes. The assistant quickly turns to brief him

while they walk. Okay, we've got CNBC next, David Faber's interviewing.

Likely questions will be latest results, stock price, linear television.

Iger nods.

It's been eight months since he returned Disney and the honeymoon's over.

He might have warded off Nelson Pelt's attempt to stir a shareholder revolt,

but the turnaround he promised is yet to happen. Disney's stock price has fallen 16% in a year,

and investors are questioning if Igers up to the job. So he's planning to use an interview with

CNBC's show Squawk Box to reassure Wall Street that he's not some old

media dinosaur pining for the glory days of broadcast in cable TV.

The assistant leads him out of the building.

On the courtyard he sees CNBC's setup, three cameras and two camping chairs arranged so viewers will see the mountains of Idaho

in the background. Iger greets Faber, raises his arm so a sound engineer can wire him up with a

microphone, and settles in for an interview. Cameras roll. Faber checks his notes and looks at Iger.

Let me ask you about it. We're talking, I guess, ABC, the network, the stations, but then the cable networks as well.

Yes, correct.

FX, NatGeo.

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